My 12m is (supposedly) rated to fly in up to 25 mph wind, but I think that much above 20 starts getting uncomfortable real fast.Jox wrote:Huh, well that is good to know. I was under the impression that high teens and low 20s were too much for 11-12m kites...thats the whole reason I went ahead and purchased the 9m. I find myself alittle confused as to which kite to fly if that 20+ wind at 3rd Avenue was supposedly best with my 11m.
Rather than rely on numbers, though, I usually go by:
1) The way the wind feels. Over time, you develop a sense of how much wind translates into breaking out the 9m. Usually, it's a lot.
And:
2) Other kites on the beach. This almost never fails. When I see that almost everyone has 9m or smaller, I know my 12m won't work. Taking into account, of course, that there may be a handful of beginners who only have a 12m and are determined to fly it even when they shouldn't.
If it's sort of "in between," I'd rather be a little overpowered on my 12m than underpowered on my 9m 'cause I know that it's most likely the wind will eventually die down, not pick up.